The BMW M2 CS is confirmed for South Africa and we can confirm how many units we'll be getting, plus how to buy one if you're keen to own this high-performance model.
If you thought the BMW M2 and M2 Competition were high performance, then brace yourself for the ultimate iteration of the BMW M2. What you see here is the BMW M2 CS, an M2 that has been on a diet and given some additional power. The 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-6 motor now delivers 331 kW and 550 Nm, which is a bit more than the standard BMW M2 Competition at 302 kW.
The additional power means it's a bit faster in the acceleration stakes. A 6-speed manual or 7-speed DCT will be available and that will ensure brisk acceleration from zero to 100 kph in 4.2 and 4.0 seconds respectively. The M2 CS rides on 19-inch Y-spoke wheels in a gloss black finish and shod in Michelin Sport Cup 2 rubber. Carbon fibre has been used extensively to reduce weight. The bonnet, front splitter and roof are made of carbon fibre. The roof also features a new sandwich design which lowers weight further while increasing structural rigidity and lowering the car’s centre of gravity. Adaptive M Suspension and M Sport brakes are standard and new ball joints and elastomeric bearings have been fitted to the front and rear axles. Carbon-ceramic brakes are optional. All of this means it's going to be one serious corner-carving machine. The savings of the carbon fibre pieces are actually offset by the added weight of the adaptive M suspension so the CS weights the same as a normal M2. Option in the carbon-ceramic brakes and you get a 25 kg saving in total.
As for the interior, the use of carbon fibre continues as seen on the door pulls, door trim and centre console. Alcantara with contrast stitching is prevalent inside the M2 CS, including the thick steering wheel. M Competition sport seats are covered in black leather and Alcantara and feature a CS logo on the headrests that let people know you are driving the real deal.
BMW M2 CS Price in South Africa
During a well-executed social media video conference, BMW SA and BMW M SA representatives discussed how it will be selling the newcomer. BMW South Africa has confirmed there will be 30 units coming to our shores. Two units will be staying with BMW SA as marketing vehicles, with 28 being available for customers. COVID-19 has had a massive impact on production and distribution, but BMW SA is trying to get the cars assembled in the next month or two, to ensure the vehicles all land at the same time and before the end of 2020.
There will be 4 colour options: Hockenheim Silver, Sapphire Black, Alpine White and Misano Blue (the colour you see here.). Due to the sheer interest with BMW SA claiming over 300 customers expressing interest, there will be an auction of the 28 units and the customers will be the top BMW M customers from across SA who will have the chance to bid for one of these high-performance exclusive vehicles. Interestingly, BMW SA said that there will be no chance to configure the vehicles as they will already be assembled, so they'll be doing the options. There should be some variety, with different wheels, colours, manual/DCT and some cars will have carbon-ceramic brakes. The idea is you will have to bid on your perfect spec.
In terms of pricing, the current BMW M2 Competition retails for just over R1 million, but given the exclusivity and the fact that all units are going under the auction hammer, it's easy to see them fetching between R1.4 million and R1.6 million.
If you are an existing BMW M customer and want one of these beauties, best you contact your local dealer to get put on the shortlist!
Welcome to the 5th episode of our new weekly show. This is a bumper episode: the BMW X4M takes on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV in a quarter-mile drag race, Ciro and Ernest spend a day trying to capture the sound of the Volkswagen Golf 7.5 R (fitted with the Akrapovic exhausts), we travel to Mozambique in the iconic Land Rover Defender, we look back at one of our largest SentiMetal meet-ups that we've ever hosted, we meet the local owner and builder of a 400hp Ford Escort drag car, and finally we join our racing driver Ashley Oldfield at his 5th Simola Hillclimb, where he competed in the monstrous Jaguar F-PACE SVR.
We have been working towards this project for many years now – a proudly South African long format, multi-segment car show. A show which celebrates South Africa and our rich car history. We toyed with broadcasting on terrestrial television or launching on a streaming network, but with us so close to the finish line we got blindsided by the global Covid-19 crisis, which required a global lockdown.
Our talks, production and country halted. But this extraordinary moment in time also creates opportunity. With South Africa ordered to stay home, online content consumption is on the rise and content creation dwindling. As a company which takes great pride in being nimble, we simply couldn’t resist the urge to fill this content void and give South Africa, and the world, something beautiful to watch.
And so in a moment of inspiration, we decided to adapt our long-format car show concept, using some techniques that may have been unthinkable before lockdown, and get it ready in record time to release it for free to the world. With this show, we aim to entertain, inform, inspire and hopefully make our audience smile.
We have also committed to donating all revenue generated off our Cars.co.za YouTube channel for the rest of 2020 to charitable causes in support of the fight against Covid-19. For this show, all of our content was either filmed pre-lockdown or safely under lockdown conditions by our presenter himself – Ciro De Siena; it turns out a lounge and dining room can be an excellent TV studio.
New episodes will debut every Thursday at 8pm and all episodes will remain on the channel indefinitely. From everyone at Cars.co.za, stay safe, stay home, look after yourselves, and each other.
Volkswagen Golf GTI (2020) International First Ride
To prepare for the launch of the new Golf GTI, VW's head of driving dynamics put a prototype through the wringer around a top-secret test track. Our international correspondent, Greg Kable, went along for the ride and shares his experience of one of the year's most eagerly-anticipated arrivals. Could the 8th GTI be THAT different to its predecessor? Read on…
The front passenger seat is not the place I’d usually choose to sit when it comes to the Volkswagen Golf GTI – a car whose very existence is based on the visceral thrill delivered by its driving experience. But as this is the latest, 8th-generation model not due in local showrooms until later this year (or early 2021, if delayed) and we’ve got one of the world’s best test facilities all to ourselves for the next hour or so, it is time to make an exception.
After filling out a variety of forms to gain the security clearance to venture beyond the heavily-guarded perimeter of Volkswagen’s vast Ehra-Lessien development centre in Germany, I find myself seated next to VW’s head of driving dynamics, Karsten Schebsdat, as he guns the new Golf GTI flat out in 7th gear along a seemingly never-ending straight. The course is ultra-smooth, 4-lanes wide (in parts) and a mesmerising 8.6 km in length.
Speed runs
VW's test facility allows for high-speed and handling tests within a heavily guarded compound.
With the digital speedo indicating 250 kph, Schebsdat is busy explaining the fundamental differences in driving character between the new Golf GTI and its immediate predecessor, launched back in 2013. “It’s very settled at speed. We’ve transferred more load stiffness to the rear, which improves balance and helps the car to track better,” he says while drawing a finger across the central display to alter the driving mode more in the direction of Sport.
Then, without warning – or the faintest hint of a lift, the Volkswagen engineer whips on a quarter turn or so of steering lock. “It’s also extremely responsive and more stable than before,” he adds, as we veer sharply across the neighbouring lanes before he corrects the steering again. The lateral forces involved are truly colossal. But in the second or two they take to bury their way into the pit of my stomach, the prototype we’re in has already regained its composure and we head straight on again as if nothing untoward had happened.
As the latest derivative of the Golf 8, there’s not much about the latest GTI that isn’t instantly familiar. And yet, it feels different; more eager and sporting in its actions, but with the same degree of refinement and polish as its lesser siblings. In time-honoured fashion, it retains the front-wheel-drive layout of its celebrated predecessors, which means it continues to compete with very creditable rivals, including the Honda Civic Type R and Renault Me?gane RS.
Running gear
The same engine as the previous GTI does duty again, albeit with a bit more oomph.
Up front, the 2020 iteration is powered by the same 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol engine as its predecessor – the EA888, to use its internal codename. Earlier signs suggested it was set to lift its reserves with 48V mild-hybrid electric boosting, but Volkswagen has decided to continue down the same conventional path as before without the additional power enhancement from the alternator seen in lesser versions of the new Golf.
The result? The standard Golf GTI now develops the same 180 kW from 4 700 to 6 200 rpm and 370 Nm between 1 600 rpm and 4 300 rpm as the Mk7 GTI’s Performance derivative, giving it an 11 kW and 20 Nm lift in reserves on the 7th-generation model it replaces.
It’s all channelled through a standard 6-speed manual gearbox or, as is the case with the prototype we’re in, a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission with shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel – which is the version that will be offered in the South African market (the GTI will spearhead the arrival of the Golf 8 range). As with the previous incarnation of the Golf GTI, there’s also an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, or XDS… as Volkswagen likes to call it. It detects unloading of the inside wheel and uses individual braking application via the electronic stability control system to restore traction.
Volkswagen isn’t giving away much at all on performance just yet but Schebsdat, who has worked on developing such highly lauded cars such as the original Ford Focus and the 911 GT3 RS 4.0 (during a stint at Porsche Motorsport), suggests the standard Golf GTI is close to the old Golf GTI Performance for outright accelerative ability, with a 0-100 kph time of around 6.2 sec.
GTI lineup
The GTI range is expected to consist of a standard GTI and a Clubsport model.
Following the strategy established with the 7th-generation model, Volkswagen plans a 2-tiered line-up for the latest Golf GTI. Gone is the Performance version, which in effect will be supplanted by this new, more potent standard GTI, while the Clubsport, whose moniker was previously reserved for special track-based limited-production models, will replace the Golf GTI TCR. Details have yet to be officially revealed, although the Clubsport is claimed to run the same level of tune to the EA888 engine as the outgoing GTI TCR, which develops 213 kW at 5 400 rpm and 370 Nm of torque between 1 950 rpm and 5 300 rpm.
Today isn’t about drivelines, though. It’s about exploring dynamic qualities. And Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien facility is just the place to show us what the new Golf GTI can do. It has everything: endless straights, where you can run flat out for minutes on end; banked corners, where the centrifugal forces allow the driver to go hands-off above certain speeds; handling roads, featuring every kind of corner, camber and surface you could ever wish for and much more. It is torture for any car, but it also provides valuable insight into on-the-limit behaviour without having to venture out onto public roads.
So just how do you instil the dynamic qualities that have distinguished the Golf GTI since its introduction to the Volkswagen line-up in 1974 into the new model, while also ensuring it meets its brief of appealing to a wider customer audience than ever before? “There is a lot of detailed tuning work,” says Schebsdat. “Every component has come under the spotlight. It is a process that was integrated into the development of the new Golf from the very beginning.”
MQB mods
A slight modification to the front of the MQB platform makes it slightly lighter and stiffer than before.
Once again, the starting point was Volkswagen’s versatile MQB platform – a structure renowned for delivering some of the highest levels of stiffness in the class. To this, the new Golf GTI adds an aluminium front subframe in place of the steel unit used previously. Similar to that developed for the earlier limited-production Golf GTI Clubsport S, it saves 3 kg and provides a more rigid basis for the electromechanical steering and MacPherson strut front suspension than before.
Predictably, the steering continues with a variable ratio rack as standard, although it is more direct, with an on-centre ratio of 14.1:1 resulting in 2 turns lock to lock. A new software package has also been developed to improve steering response and deliver more urgent self-centring.
Another key development brought to the latest Golf GTI is Volkswagen’s new VDM (vehicle dynamics manager) system. It provides a centralised network for a series of different functions, including the steering, throttle, gearbox and adaptive dampers – the last of which continue to be made available as an option as part of an upgraded DCC (dynamic chassis control) system that’s claimed to provide faster damper adjustment at each wheel for improved body control, added ride refinement and, as displayed during our high-speed runs, a generally more settled feel to the car as a whole.
Volkswagen says the VDM system also enhances the operation of the XDS electronic diff lock by providing it with additional information on other systems, including the DCC. “It is now more effective than ever, especially during hard cornering,” says Schebsdat. “The apportioning of drive to each of the front wheels is now more finely controlled and dependent on a greater number of different factors than it was previously.”
More mode adjustment
The Drive Mode selection will have a slider that allows for fine-tuning of the driving experience.
As before, there are 4 driving modes: Comfort, Eco, Sport and Individual. However, they can be set more precisely via a digital slider with extra steps now incorporated between each mode for a broader range of driving characteristics.
The suspension, which adopts the same rear multi-link set-up as the old model, is set 15 mm lower than in other versions of the new Golf and is imbued with its own unique kinematic properties. The standard wheels are 17-inch, although buyers will be able to choose 18-inch and 19-inch options. The prototype we’re in rides on 18-inch wheels shod with 225/40-profile Bridgestone Potenza S005 tyres.
What Volkswagen has set out to achieve with the new Golf GTI is greater cohesiveness, as well as linearity and incisiveness in the way its mechanical components work in combination with its various electronic systems. The aim is to build on the solid basis of the old model with a heightened feeling of precision, composure and stability through superior networking of each individual function.
“We didn’t want a nervous-feeling car tuned for ultimate performance, but one that instils confidence in the driver in every possible situation,” says Schebsdat.
Stability is key
Don't expect lift-off oversteer from the GTI, this model is all about stability and responsiveness.
Over Ehra-Lessien’s more demanding handling roads, you sense the consistency in the Golf 8's responses, the inherent balance of its chassis and its heightened agility. It all starts with the apparent decisiveness with which the new Golf GTI turns in to corners in Sport mode and then continues with the way its electronic differential deftly goes about the business of apportioning drive to the front wheels. There is outstanding grip from the tyres, which do a great job of resisting any urge of the Volkswagen's front end to run wide prematurely even on bumpy surfaces; it allows the driver to maintain lots of momentum to the apex without the car feeling on edge.
On a particularly demanding section with lots of high-frequency bumps, we enter a tight constant-radius corner. Schebsdat keeps the throttle nailed and delicately places the car on the inside white line while maintaining constant steering angle. All the while, I keep expecting the liberal grip that was evident on entry to weaken. However, the Golf keeps tracking true. There is no scrub or even a hint of understeer, despite a heady combination of lateral and vertical forces loaded through the suspension.
At the next corner, a long, opening left-hander, Schebsdat carries even greater speed before suddenly lifting the throttle and then mashing it against its backstop again. It’s remarkable just how stable the GTI's rear-end remains. Even with provocation, the prototype continues to track with great determination.
Body control is another real strength at the sporting end of the new Volkswagen’s various driving modes. There is a degree of lean in slower corners, but the improved action of the adaptive dampers ensures it builds in a more progressive way than before, especially from the initial point of unsettling. Indeed, overall composure is one of the key attributes of the Golf GTI’s handling, and that can also be said of its ride. There is a predictable firmness to the underpinnings but there’s no real abruptness, even on the optional tyres. Vertical movement is exceptionally well controlled, giving it impressive settled properties in Comfort mode. Its ability to dampen after-shake over large bumps is also commendable.
Summary
On that note, my time in the passenger seat of the new Golf GTI is over. The 8th-generation of Volkswagen's iconic hot hatch may not be the most powerful or fastest car in its class, but it represents a major leap forward compared with its much-loved predecessor. It feels wonderfully agile and responsive in the best of GTI traditions, but also assuredly stable and composed when pushed to its limits. It’s going to be a few more months until we get to jump behind the newcomer's steering wheel ourselves, but we already know that it's an accomplished hot hatch. Suffice to say we can hardly wait for it to arrive on local shores…
Opel has teased the first images of its all-new Mokka compact SUV. Here's what we know so far.
Opel is now under the ownership of the Peugeot Citroen Group (PSA) so expect some shared technology like platforms and powertrains. Opel is claiming there will be a fully-electric Mokka as well as conventionally-powered units. We suspect the electric Mokka will use the current electric Corsa's powertrain which offers up 100 kW and 260 Nm, and has a range of around 330 km.
Production will begin towards the end of this year, with the first customer cars (including the all-electric model) due to reach showrooms in the first part of 2021. Interestingly, the Mokka is losing its predecessor's Mokka X name and will just be known as Mokka.
‘The new Mokka will change people’s perception of our brand,’ said Stephen Norman, Vauxhall’s Managing Director. ‘Not only does it show that we’re serious about electrification, but also that we’re not afraid to innovate with design, both inside and out of the car. The Mokka is still in its development phase now, but it is set to be one of Vauxhall’s most important models when it arrives with customers at the start of next year.’
In May 2020, Opel released info on how the new Mokka was put through its paces as engineers refined springs, dampers and steering. There's also a focus on making the Mokka's drive engaging. According to the Opel Mokka project coordinator Karsten Bohle, “The test drives are running like clockwork, also because our new baby, with its low weight and compact external dimensions, reacts well to adjustments. Handling and comfort are super. The Mokka is a joy to drive.”
The new Opel Mokka will ride on the CMP platform, which underpins many Peugeot Citroen group products. Remember Opel is now owned by the French, and given PSA's meteoric rise over the past 18 months, this change of ownership can only mean good things for Opel. There are suggestions the all-new Mokka will be 120 kg lighter than the outgoing model, despite having almost the same wheelbase and tyre size.
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced Maserati to delay the unveiling of its carbon-fibre-tubbed (and ostensibly twin-turbo V6-powered) mid-engined sportscar, but to whet our appetites for the upcoming launch, the Modenese marque has clothed its MC20 development prototype in a livery that commemorates the late Sir Stirling Moss.
Despite the unforeseen delay, 2020 looks to be a momentous year for the historic Italian marque. The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' premier brand has been struggling for sales with an ageing product line-up, but in September, the defiant company will host a brand-relaunch event in Modena titled “MMXX: The Way Forward” to inaugurate the brand's "new era".
The MC20 prototype shows vents on the rear engine cover… pity we can't see the car's exhaust-end layout.
The MC20 (MC is the abbreviation for Maserati Corse – or Maserati Racing – while the 20 refers to 2020) is set to be the first model to be launched in the so-called “new era” of the Trident brand. As a spiritual successor to the MC12 supercar, which won 22 races (including 3 victories in the 24 Hours of Spa) and clinched 14 championship titles in FIA GT racing from 2004 to 2010, the newcomer will be officially entered in motorsport competition.
Maserati claims the MC20 will be “the first car to adopt a new engine 100% designed, developed and produced by (the brand) itself” and it will be produced at the historic plant in Viale Ciro Menotti (where the now-discontinued Gran Turismo was built). The plant’s production line is being modernised “to accommodate the newcomer’s advanced electric powertrain”, and a new low-environmental-impact paint shop is being built.
Sir Stirling Moss campaigned a host of Maseratis during his storied career.
In March, to hammer home the Trident brand’s “Masters of ItalianAudacity” global statement, of which the new MC20 is claimed to be “the first and ultimate expression", the first full prototype of the mid-engined sportscar was photographed at night in Piazza degli Affari in Milan. That marked the start of a period of road and track testing, in various conditions, to acquire vital data for the preparation of the car's final setup, Maserati says.
Now Maserati has shown the MC20 prototype again in a livery that pays homage to Sir Stirling Moss, the British motorsport legend who died on 12 April at the age of 90. The design is inspired by the Maserati Eldorado – the iconic single-seater Sir Stirling drove in the “Trofeo dei due Mondi” at Monza in 1958.
Questions remain about Maserati's claim of an "advanced electric powertrain". It presupposes hybrid and BEV versions of the MC20.
The wrap features Moss' name in bold, red letters at the rear in honour of the man who recorded 16 victories in 66 Formula One starts – he’s widely regarded as is one of the most successful drivers never to have won the F1 world drivers' title. In the 1956 season and some 1957 races, he drove a Maserati 250F (“his favourite”, as he often recalled). The British driver also drove the Maserati Tipo 60 Birdcage, Tipo 61 and 300 S during his career.
What’s clear from the teaser images is that the MC20 is mid-engined (note the sharp, plunging nose section and the air intakes atop the car’s elaborate rear fenders). Car and Driver claims the MC20 will – like its now-discontinued Alfa Romeo 4C cousin – feature a carbon-fibre tub and that it will be powered by that “all-new” twin-turbo V6 producing in excess of 447 kW, mated with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
It that a centrally-mounted single exhaust end protruding from the MC20 prototype's rear diffuser?
The engine’s displacement has not been announced, but British Car suggests that Maserati engineers are working towards an ultimate engine capacity of approximately 3.6 litres, which is substantially beefier than the 2.9-litre displacement of the twin-turbo V6 that produces 403 kW/600 Nm in the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA.
The MC20 will be produced in coupe and roadster guises – it will be launched in hardtop guise, with the soft-top version expected to follow in 2021 (or soon thereafter). But what about the “advanced electric powertrain” that Maserati referred to when it described the upgrade programme of its historic Modenese plant (where the MC20 will be built)?
Hybrid, pure-electric versions mooted
While a pure-electric version of the MC20 is said to be planned, we believe that newcomer's power unit could also comprise a combination of a twin-turbo engine with multiple electric motors – with at least one of those motors mounted on the front axle, British Car reports. The result will be a hybrid sportscar with a combined output of 515 kW that should be capable of sprinting from 0-100 kph in under 3 sec.
We believe that the unveiling of the MC20 will coincide with the “MMXX: The Way Forward” event in September. We also await news of a replacement for the Gran Turismo, which is believed to be based on the 2+2 Alfieri concept.
An S8 engine, without the performance, but it does have some rather special kit to make up for that.
Audi has launched the most sophisticated version of its A8.
Without much fanfare, the latest A8 Security is now available for those most discerning Audi customers, who feel a touch vulnerable about their safety on the move.
Although the A8 Security might not look much different to a regular A8 – but for the blue roof LEDs – it has a lot more of, well, everything.
Armoured windows and a fully integrated protection cell around the cabin, give it VR9-level gunfire protection. That bulletproofing naturally comes at a cost, in weight, with the A8 Security calculating to a massive 3 875 kg kerb weight. But don’t imagine that it is awfully slow, due to the ballooned vehicle mass.
Audi’s technical people have been clever enough to equip the A8 Security with an S8-specification engine, which means the twin-turbo 4-litre V8 is good 420 kW, delivering 0-100 kph in 6.3 seconds. That might be two-and-bit seconds slower than an actual S8, but still makes the A8 Security swift enough to get away from pursuers.
Top speed is limited to 210 kph, to preserve braking function, considering the car’s near 4-tonne mass when fuelled and loaded with passengers.
What are some of the unique A8 Security features? Beyond protecting its occupants from snipers and grenade tossing assassins, its run-flat tyres allow for 85 kph speeds over an 80 km distance, when punctured. A fire suppression system also prevents all that unleaded fuel from causing an issue, after suffering a severe attack.
The doors also feature pyrotechnic hinges, which can blast-separate them from the A8 Security’s bodywork, if required. A fresh air system also recognises the presence of pollutants, triggering a pump system that vents better air into the cabin, to allow passengers to breathe.
Pricing
It takes Audi’s technicians 400 hours to build each A8 Security, which is primarily targeted at the Russian market, for a winching R13m (estimated) list price.
The new Audi RS6 Avant has impressive power outputs in standard form, but tuning firm, Wheelsandmore, have created a monster…
Audi’s new RS6 Avant is one hot wagon that we can’t wait to drive. In standard form, the RS6 Avant packs a big punch with 441 kW and 800 Nm of torque developed by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine. Equipped with an 8-speed Tiptronic transmission and all-wheel-drive, the RS6 Avant will smash zero to 100 kph in just 3.6 seconds! Top speed is limited to 250 kph.
For some though, that’s just not enough. German tuner, Wheelsandmore have taken the RS6 Avant and created a monster. The firm calls this project TenTension and has managed to squeeze significantly more power and torque from the engine. This was done with various hardware and software upgrades resulting in outputs of 753 kW and 1 250 Nm of torque.
The firm has yet to conduct long term testing on the modifications before it goes on sale to the public and the upgrade costs about R833 000 at current exchange rates, which excludes the price of the RS6 Avant which is estimated at about R2.1-million. The RS6 Avant is not on sale in South Africa yet but is likely to arrive in 2021.
Ever since the Carlos Ghosn imprisonment and subsequent escape, the Renault/Nissan Alliance has been in trouble. It seems the future of Datsun is in jeopardy now too, is it a case of no more Go?
Nissan is desperately attempting to reorganise and downsize its business, as it suffers more losses and a share price which has nearly halved, this year.
After a terrible 2019, Nissan has awoken to the reality that it might no longer possess the resources to be a volume vehicle brand.
Projections from the Japanese company are for immediate cost savings of R50bn according to Automotive News Europe. Nissan wishes to build fewer cars, with better margins and higher prices. That business strategy means no more cheap Nissans. In fact, Bloomberg reports from a source that the Infiniti brand will see renewed investment as the brand focuses more on the premium sector of the market.
Reducing Nissan’s size and rationalising its business has cast doubt on the future of Datsun, which was revived as a value sub-brand in 2013.
Although vastly popular in developing markets (like South Africa), the profit potential in cheap Datsuns are too small. Nissan is no longer interested in scaling large production and distribution assets, for low returns, which means Datsun has no future.
Emerging market economies and entry-level buyers will be in a very weak economic position after the Covid-19 lockdown. India, Indonesia and Russia are crucial Datsun markets, all facing economic ruin after the Covid-19 economic disruption. For those oil producing countries which were strong Datsun target markets (Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Russia), the crash in crude prices will significantly dent new car sales for many months.
Nissan’s future strategy is to align its products to American, Chinese and Japanese demand, where budget cars are only a peripheral part of the product portfolio.
If Datsun swiftly disappears, it will radically reduce Nissan’s South African presence, where it accounts for most of the company’s passenger car sales.
Thinly-disguised new Mercedes-Benz S-Class spotted
Images of a thinly-disguised Mercedes-Benz S-Class has popped up on the Internet, but don’t be fooled by the understated, evolutionary exterior styling of the upcoming W223 – its interior is revolutionary, replete with a gigantic infotainment system tablet that sprouts from the first-class sedan's centre console.
These images were posted on the Spanish blogsite Cochespias, which, you may remember, also gave us the first glimpse of the upcoming Volkswagen Golf 8 R. Apparently, this black pre-production unit of the next S-Class was covertly photographed in the vicinity of one of Benz’ manufacturing plants.
Expected to be unveiled internationally late in 2021, the W223 is based on a substantially updated version of the brand’s MRA (Modular Rear-wheel drive Architecture) platform, which should yield weight-savings over its predecessor and it is rumoured that the newcomer will be offered exclusively in long-wheelbase guise, which should give it a stately overall length of about 5.3 metres.
The S-Class remains a symbol of restrained luxury and upper-crust motoring; its understated styling reflects that.
Compared with the bold new nose treatment of facelifted BMW 7 Series, the Benz’s styling is largely evolutionary; its front end looks more flat-faced (bluff-nosed) than the W222, with smaller LED headlamps flanking a new-look grille. At the back, meanwhile, the most obvious change is a pair of CLS-inspired tail lamps and recent spy shots suggest the car may feature pop-out door handles.
But the biggest revelation, however, is the new S-Class’ revolutionary – and minimalist – cockpit, replete with smooth touch-capacitive surfaces. Benz has introduced a sweeping tiered dashboard; the top plane features a quartet of square vents top and centre, while the lower pane has chunky vertical vents at either end.
We're astonished by the minimalist layout of the S-Class' cabin, even the ventilation outlets seem to have been made smaller.
An imposing portrait-aspect infotainment display (ostensibly underpinned by the next iteration of the MBUX operating system) sweeps up from the centre console and an all-digital instrument cluster sits behind the steering wheel. If you look closely, you will notice a large well behind the instrument display, which suggests the W223 will feature an advanced, highly-detailed head-up display system.
By blending the high-grade materials with a level of fit and finish once found in significantly more expensive Mercedes-Maybach derivatives, the new S-Class is expected to leap back to the top of its rarefied class for luxury and quality.
Under the bonnet, expect to find a full range of electrified powertrains with even the entry-level derivative featuring the Three-pointed Star’s 48V mild-hybrid electric architecture. We expect to see a 3.0-litre inline-6 turbopetrol and a 2.9-litre inline-6 turbodiesel, while the biggest motor is unlikely to be a V12 (owing to the impact of stricter European emissions regulations), so the headlining powerplant will probably be a beefed-up AMG twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8.
This pre-production example of the new S-Class was equipped with a rear entertainment system and 4-zone climate control.
The W223 will probably be produced in RWD as well as all-wheel-drive guises and, from the global launch in late 2021, Benz will also offer full plug-in hybrid versions. Surprisingly, there is unlikely to be a battery electric vehicle (BEV) version of the next S-Class, because Benz has been developing its next first-class sedan in tandem with the EQS – a flagship “4-door coupe” that sits on the manufacturer's dedicated MEA (modular electric architecture) platform.
The W223 will introduce, inter alia, Level 3 Highway Assist autonomous driving technology, the next version of AirMatic+ active suspension (it scans the road to pre-arm the air suspension and dampers for bumps ahead), as well as new active anti-roll bars that facilitate flat cornering, even at higher speeds than the current S-Class can.
We expect the new S-Class will reach South African showrooms in the first quarter of 2021.
Car sales may resume as well as servicing under Level 4 lockdown guidelines. Here are all the details.
Late on the evening of Tuesday 12th May 2020, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel announced a number of changes which affect the motoring industry. The good news is that car sales and servicing are allowed to resume, albeit under strict conditions. The term car sales also cover the wholesale vehicle trade, movement of vehicles to dealerships as well as the export/import aspect of vehicles.
The gradual reopening of the motoring industry will be done in phases, with the first phase placing some restrictions. We've scanned the Government Gazette and here's what you need to know regarding the phased reopening. If you'd like to view the Government Gazette, click here.
Phase One
Car dealerships may not have more than 30% of its staff onsite, with no more than 1 customer or employee for every 9 square metres of floor space.
The majority of car sales will be done remotely via the internet or eCommerce or telephone. Personal contact will be kept to a minimum and only on appointment under very strict hygiene and social distancing conditions in line with the Regulations.
Test drives are to be booked via appointment.
Once a car has been sold, it must be delivered to the buyer's homes after being sanitised.
Car services can now resume, but only for those whose vehicles are due for service during the lockdown period.
Businesses that repair vehicles may now operate and these include outlets like autobody repairers, windscreen replacement, tyre fitment, auto electricians.
Cosmetic repair work has been banned, for now.
Phase Two
Car dealerships may increase their staff attendance to 60%
On-site pickups and deliveries of sold cars will be allowed, but vehicles will need to be sanitised.
Limited customers will be allowed to enter the dealership under very strict hygiene and social distancing conditions in line with the Regulations.
Car auctions for all categories will be conducted online in compliance with the CPA Regulations and limited physical contact will be allowed for viewing prior to the auction under very strict hygiene conditions including fully sanitised cars.
Phase Three (estimated 8 June 2020)
Car dealerships may have 100% of staff attendance.
Car auctions for all categories will be conducted online in compliance with the CPA Regulations and limited physical contact will be allowed for viewing prior to the auction under very strict hygiene conditions including fully sanitised cars and limits on the numbers of persons at auctions in order to maintain a distance of at least 1,5m between persons at all times, including when entering or exiting from an auction.
Customer on-site contact will be allowed but kept to a minimum, whilst remote vehicle sales are encouraged.
For the Dealerships
The new regulations mean dealerships and used car outlets must implement health and safety measures, including, but not limited to the following: (a) Sanitisation procedures at all sites will be strictly applied to ensure that all work surfaces, equipment and cars on the floor are disinfected before the dealership is opened, and regularly cleaned during the working period; (b) maintaining social distancing protocols at all times; (c) ensuring that all staff and customers wear a cloth face mask or a home-made item that covers the nose and mouth and not allowing any customer access to a dealership, used car outlet or auction without a face mask; (d) not allowing an employee who is sick or who has COVID-19 symptoms to work; (e) mandatory screening of all employees when they arrive for work on a daily basis; (f) mandatory signing of a register by all visitors and customers to all sites; and (g) not permitting children access to dealerships and used car outlets under Alert Level 4.
Dealer Principals or other persons in charge of dealerships and used car outlets will ensure that ongoing training and guidance on personal hygiene and preventative measures are communicated to all employees on a regular basis.
Other Services
There are plenty of other vehicle-related businesses and some of them can resume service, and these include:
Car testing centres
Homologation services from the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications
Weighbridges
Logistics (wholesale distribution of cars across South Africa, subject to the following: (i) movement of cars under own power to be permitted from Port of arrival to an approved storage facility provided vehicles moved do not exceed batches of 10 at a time; (ii) new cars to be driven between dealerships within the same province where a car is required for sale only; and (iii) movement of cars to be permitted to service outlets required to complete the repair of the car were unable to perform the work at the dealership but excluding the fitment of accessories.
